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Notes on a Nervous Planet
Notes on a Nervous Planet
Matt Haig | 2018 | Health & Fitness, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences, Science & Mathematics
10
9.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Let’s just start off with the compulsory statement: I would read absolutely anything written by Matt Haig. I’ll link my reviews of his other books at the end of this post.

Notes is a follow-on book to Reasons to Stay Alive, and focuses on her the world is effecting your mental health. It’s in quite small chapters so it’s really easy to get along with and read in short bursts rather than being a book you need a large amount of free time to read.

I really loved Haig’s commentary on the roles of social media towards your mental health. He points out how social media can both help and hinder people’s mental health, and how social media is full of the best parts of people, not every part.

The thing I love about his writing is that he’s straight-talking. He says it as it is throughout the book, and definitely puts a strong point forward about exactly what can make a large difference to your mental health.

I’m happy that in Notes, Haig points out that there is no difference between mental and physical health in their effects, making a brilliant argument on why mental health should be taken more seriously by everyone.

When this book came in the post I told myself I was going to savour it, because I was so excited to get a new book by Matt Haig that I didn’t want to rush it. So in the end I read it in two days instead of one!

Notes on a Nervous Planet is definitely necessary reading for everyone, whether you have mental health struggles or not. It gives many ways to stop letting the world into your head and not wasting your energy worrying. It’s made me glad I read it.
  
Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1)
Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1)
Crista McHugh | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a great lazy afternoon read!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Britney and Alex had a week in Vegas, a whirlwind romance, followed by a wedding. But Britney runs from Alex on their wedding night and ahs been pushing for a divorce ever since. Alex needs a wife to secure his family ranch's future. So, Alex will give Britney her divorce, if she will give him two weeks. Will that be enough for them both to get what they want? Who they want?

This review will be short, and I apologise for that!

I liked this. It was a n..n..n...n......it was an easy read, perfect way to pass a rainy afternoon, a perfect hangover cure, both book and alcohol induced!

I just can't get passed that N word for this book, and ya'll know how much it pains me to use that word, and how much it pains me not to be able to say what I want!

It's not overly complicated, nor is it explicit, but it is sexy. It's full of Hawaiian (sorry if this is spelt wrong!) words, with translations both in the main body of the text, and a glossary at the front of the book. I didn't look at the glossary; I had all the information given to me as the words popped up. Lots of beautiful scenery described too.

I saw no editing or spelling errors to spoil my reading enjoyment, and I read it in one sitting.

This is the first I've read of this author. Will I read more? Possibly. I really did LIKE this book.

3 good solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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The Light Between Oceans
The Light Between Oceans
M.L. Stedman | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.1 (18 Ratings)
Book Rating
Better Than The Film
Yes, yes, I know this has been made into a film. I'm always a little disappointed when a good book becomes a film. With the book, the characters look how you think they should and the locations look how you think they should and so on . . .

With the film, you have the directors vision not yours and I always seem to think the director has it wrong. I even felt this with the Harry Potters. In my head, everything was how I imagined it and the films were not.


Anyways, nothing exists to serve my point as much as this book. I read it a long time before the film came out and it made me feel things more than the subsequent film did.


If you didn't know, this is the story of a man who comes back from the First World War and seeks solitude manning a lighthouse on a lonely island.


He meets the love of his life and they marry and co-exist on the island very happily. They try to have a family but sadly it is not to be as his wife suffers miscarriages.


One day, a boat washes up with a dead man and a live baby inside. What follows is nothing short of heart rending. I won't go into too much detail as you need to read this yourself and please, I implore you to avoid the film until you have read the book.


It's an emotional read, but worth it.
  
Storm Front: The Dresden Files, Book 1
Storm Front: The Dresden Files, Book 1
Jim Butcher | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.1 (57 Ratings)
Book Rating
I just re-read Storm Front, after first reading it - well, I don't even know how many years ago! Shortly after it was first released, I think.

Now, it's important to know that I simply don't re-read books. I find that too boring, most of the time. There are a scant few exceptions. The Liaden Universe books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are the most remarkable of them. The fact that I would even consider a re-read speaks very, very highly of Butcher's work.

I'd forgotten far more than I expected, but I suppose that happens, with at least 15 years and goodness knows how many books in between readings. I knew it was a good book, I knew one important part of the ending (I mean, come on - there are many more books in the series, so you KNOW that Dresden lives!), but all else was lost. I wasn't sure I would like reading about old Harry with recent Harry fresh in my mind (I just read the short story "Jury Duty").

If anything, I enjoyed it even more spiced by the knowledge of who Dresden (and Murphy) will become in the future books. I enjoyed the setting, the craft that went into building the whole novel, and seeing how Butcher's skill grew from the first book to the more recent works.

I'm going to go on with re-reading the entire series - I hadn't committed to it before, but now I'm looking forward to it!
  
The Escape Room
The Escape Room
Megan Goldin | 2019 | Crime, Thriller
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a really fun, bizarre read that I very much enjoyed. I had no idea where it was going for much of the book, but that was totally okay. It's told in very short, quick alternating chapters between members of our elevator group and then Sara Hall herself, back when she was alive and well and working at the firm. The result is a fast-paced read, as you wonder what on earth happened to Sara, whom actually seems like a human being compared to the four others. Our four trapped analysts, however, range across various levels of despicable--liars and cheaters all devoted to making money at any cost.

Truth be told, you can only feel so sorry for them to be trapped in this elevator in the dark, at the mercy of a screen doling out clues. Once in the dark, they turn violent at times: empowered against their boss, Vincent. You realize that they've sacrificed so much for their company that they basically have nothing left on the personal front.

It's a fascinating, gripping tale of what people will do to succeed, for revenge, and what they'll do when pushed to the brink. It's a really fast read. Is it a plausible story? Probably not. Is it fun, enjoyable, and full of twists and turns? Oh yeah. I could see this one as a movie, for sure. Definitely just a thrilling read to get lost in a for a couple of hours, especially if you enjoy the dark and twisted world of finance. 4+ stars!
  
Darkness Rising (Chateau Seductions 0.5)
Darkness Rising (Chateau Seductions 0.5)
Lisa Carlisle | 2017 | Erotica, Fiction & Poetry
8
4.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Darkness Rising (Chateau Seductions 0.5) by Lisa Carlisle
Darkness Rising is a short prequel to the Chateau Seductions series. We meet Antoine for the first time, and see how his life changed from being a gargoyle sculpter, to becoming a gargoyle/vampire hybrid recluse, owning a chateau and helping artists.

This isn't a long book, but it definitely helps to give you an insight into the enigmatic owner of the chateau. You are with him through the years as he says goodbye to his family and learns how to cope by himself. Two characters are introduced who will play a big part in the next book, Dark Velvet. We meet Cameron in dire circumstances and see how his friendship with Antoine grows. And we meet Savannah, who Antoine is immediately attracted to, but always want to help with her poetry.

For a quick dip into the Chateau Seductions world, then I can definitely recommend reading this short prequel. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Sense of an Ending
The Sense of an Ending
Julian Barnes | 2012 | Essays
6
7.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
A little confused and long winded
This book has a writing style that I'm not 100% keen on. Most of it is fine and easy to write, but then it has this awful habit of the main character going off into rambling musings and monologues that are far too long and pointless. This is a short book as it is, but it's be a short story if all of these ramblings had been removed!

That said, this isn't that bad a read. The plot is simple and straight forward about Tony reminiscing on his past and the death of a friend, and his musings on this in the present day. Tony himself is a strange character. He's actions and interactions with others are highly frustrating, but yet he's still a fairly endearing and intriguing character. I just think the ending was a let down. Mainly because it hasn't quite spelt it out properly, and I had to reread the final paragraphs to get what it was hinting at, and I'm still not absolutely convinced that I've got it right. Theres a big difference between an ambiguous ending and a downright confusing frustrating one, and this is definitely the latter.